Boys basketball | 4A state preview: Twelve years after first trip downstate, Glenbard East father-son duo return to 'Dream the Dream'

March 17, 2011|By Bob Narang | Special to the Tribune

Glenbard East senior point guard Zach Miller dug into his past to unearth the perfect slogan for his team this season. He just had to run the idea past senior teammate Johnny Hill.

In 1999, when Zach's dad, Scott, coached Plano to a Class A fourth-place trophy, the slogan for the purple-clad Reapers was "Dream the Dream."

"I remember everybody wearing those purple shirts. It was a small town," said Zach Miller, who was 7 years old at the time. "That (slogan) always stuck with me. When I was talking with Johnny, I told him our goal was 'Dream the Dream.' He didn't know what it meant, so I had to show him a T-shirt or picture of what it was."

The Rams adopted the slogan, printing the words on the team's pregame T-shirts.

Scott Miller, now the coach at Glenbard East, vividly recalls the 1999 experience, down to the moment when Zach walked up to the podium while the fourth-place medals were being handed out.

"Zach was really into it," Scott Miller said. "He was at my hip the whole way through. Every year at this time of the season, we talk about making it to state again."

The Rams (27-3) defeated three of the best teams in the state — Downers Grove South, East Aurora and Rockford Auburn — in their last three playoff games to earn their first state trip since 1964.

A few minutes after celebrating the supersectional victory, Northern Illinois recruit Zach Miller found his father and uttered the words that have become the unofficial Miller family hoops slogan.

"After he came back and hugged all the fans, Zach came to me and said, 'Dream the Dream,' " Scott Miller said.

For father and son, the state semifinal berth amounts to the ideal culmination of 11 consecutive trips to state as fans, where they visualized coaching and playing together in Peoria this season.

"We've talked about this (state) so much over the years and how it would be a perfect way to go out in my senior year," Zach Miller said.

The long drought between state appearances, along with the rare opportunity to share the experience with his son, has brought back a flood of memories and emotions for the elder Miller.

"It makes you appreciate how fortunate and lucky I am," Scott Miller said. "Me and Zach are very close. It's been wonderful for him, me and my wife. We've had four wonderful years. You spend all that time with other people's kids. To be with him the whole time is special."

Zach Miller would like to avoid of repeat of Plano's 1999 experience, at least in one aspect. The Rams face defending champion Simeon in Friday's semifinal.

"That (Plano) loss was a bittersweet ending," Zach Miller said. "It's almost the same way for us. This is our last year together, and we want to avoid a bittersweet ending. We're going to play our game. Simeon is a very talented team, but we're really talented, too. They have to find a way to stop us."

Scouting the 4A tournament

Where: Carver Arena, Peoria.

2010 champ: Simeon.

2011 favorite: Simeon.

Championship: 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

Semifinals

Glenbard East vs. Simeon, 6:30 p.m. Friday

Glenbard East (27-3)

Dante Bailey, Jr., C, 6-6, 10.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg.

Tyree York, Sr., G, 5-9, 5.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg.

Steve Kinney, Sr., F, 6-1, 6 ppg, 4 rpg.

Zach Miller, Sr., G, 5-9, 13.1 ppg, 8.4 apg.

Johnny Hill, Sr., G, 6-3, 20.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg.

Last season: Lost to Benet 68-54 in sectional final.

Simeon (28-2)

Tywon Pinkney, Sr., G, 5-10, 2.5 ppg, 4.1 apg.

Jabari Parker, So., F, 6-7, 15.3 ppg, 6 rpg.

Rashawn McElrath, Sr., C, 6-6, 7.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg.

Darien Walker, Sr., G, 6-3, 8.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg.

Steve Taylor, Jr., F, 6-7, 9.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg.

Last season: Beat Young 51-36 in the 4A final.

Notable: Simeon won its first 23 games and was ranked No. 3 nationally by USA Today before losing consecutive games to Young and Benet in mid-February. Benet also beat Glenbard East. … Glenbard East was 19-for-20 from the foul line in its 63-51 supersectional victory over Rockford Auburn, including 12-for-12 in the fourth quarter. … Simeon has the top-ranked sophomore (Jabari Parker) and junior (Steve Taylor) recruits in the state. … While Parker did not score, McElrath, Walker and Pinkney combined for 25 of Simeon's 51 points in last year's state-final victory.

Warren vs. Normal, 8:15 p.m. Friday

Warren (30-3)

Darius Paul, Jr., F, 6-7, 11.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg.

Brandon Ferguson, Sr., G, 6-2, 8.0 ppg, 2.2 apg.

JoVaughn Gaines, Jr., G, 6-3, 8.3 ppg, 3 rpg.

Jeremiah Jackson, Sr., F, 6-5, 9.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg.

Nathan Boothe, Jr., C, 6-8, 9.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg.

Last season: Lost to Stevenson 49-44 in regional semifinal.

Normal (27-6)

Parker Musselman, Sr., C, 6-8, 12.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg.

Callen Boddie, So., G, 5-10, 4.2 ppg, 4 apg.

Anthony Goodar, Sr., F, 6-4, 10.9 ppg, 5 rpg.

Chase Robbins, Jr., G, 6-0, 9.6 ppg, 2.9 apg.

Anthony Beane, Jr., G, 6-1, 14.3 ppg, 3.6 apg.

Last season: Lost to O'Fallon 60-42 in sectional final.

Notable: One of Warren's three losses came to Simeon, 58-50 in the final of the Pontiac Holiday Tournament. Warren led by a point at halftime. … Warren has such a balanced attack that there have been just four 20-point performances by Blue Devils players all season. … Warren has been above .500 in each of coach Chuck Ramsey's 18 seasons. This is Ramsey's 10th season with more than 20 wins at Warren. … Warren junior Darius Paul is the younger brother of University of Illinois guard and 2009 Illinois Mr. Basketball Brandon Paul. … Normal's closest postseason game was a 53-48 victory over Minooka in a regional semifinal.